Message Big Idea

In order to BLESS our neighbor, Jesus invites us to share meals together.

Scripture

Matthew 9:9-13

Icebreaker

If you had to eat the same meal once every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Opening Thought

To live out our mission to help people find their way back to God, we can use the BLESS acronym. This week we focus on “E” for eating. Often in our culture, and many others, sharing a meal is a great way to get to know someone better. Eating isn’t just another item on the to-do list, but it is often something we enjoy and do multiple times a day! How can we be a blessing to someone while we eat?

Bible Discussion

1. 1. Read Matthew 9:9-13. Why do you think that Matthew followed him? What do you think they discussed at Matthew’s house?
   2. In this passage, what could Jesus mean by, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick? But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
   3. Read the Henri Nouwen quote below and discuss how it intersects with Jesus method of “eating with sinners.”

“When we invite friends for a meal, we do much more than offer them food for their bodies. We offer friendship, fellowship, good conversation, intimacy, and closeness. When we say, ‘Help yourself… take some more… don’t be shy… have another glass…’ we offer our guests not only our food and drink but also ourselves. A spiritual bond grows, and we become food and drink for one another.” -Henri J.M. Nouwen

Challenge

Who has God been calling you to bless and help to find their way back to him? Continue to pray for them, listen to them, and this week, invite them to share a meal with you. Next week share with the group how it went.

“There is something profoundly satisfying about sharing a meal. Eating together, breaking bread together, is one of the oldest and most fundamentally unifying of human experiences.” – Barbara Coloroso